Broken
by missuglydoll
Summary: When the team is split up and Ziva is back in ISRAEL she saves the live of a girl, but for a terrible price. She is left all alone, thinking the team has abandoned her. Have they?
1. Chapter 1

It had barley been two days after she had come to Israel, barley two days after director Vance had split them up. Barley two days after she said goodbye to her second family. She had heard the shouting the shooting, she had seen the girl oblivious to all the noise, to used to the danger that was always present to notice it. Maybe NCIS had made her soft, when she had still been a full time mossad officer she would have looked the other way and would have let the girl over to her fate and let her die. Let her get run over by the car that sped off. The NCIS agent that she had become over the years took over. She did not think about it twice before she run to the girl. Being just in time to push her out of the way, for herself it had been too late. She was thrown in the air and over the car by the force of which it hit her. The girl she had saved was lying where she had been pushed. She had scrambled on her feet and run to the woman that had saved her life.

The girl almost hurled at the sight of the woman, seeing people like this was one thing. Knowing that it could have, and should have been you, if not for the kindness of a stranger was a whole other thing. The woman that had saved her life lay very still. Blood seemed to come from everywhere. Her whole body lying in what looked like painfully broken angles. While the girl felt for a pulse that was still there but seemed to faint as the seconds passed, she called 1-0-1.

That had been almost two weeks ago, Ziva David had yet to wake from her coma. Her hospital room was cold and unfriendly. No flowers, no get-well-soon cards, no person sitting at her bedside holding her cold hand and praying that she would wake up. No, none of that was happening around the seemingly sleeping state of Ziva David. No more than the first phone conversation with her doctor, no more than a request to call if she was ever to wake up. The girl that had been saved by her the nineteen year old Ava had also asked if she could be called if the woman who saved her would wake up. Other than that Ziva David seemed not to exist to the world anymore.

It was not until after those two weeks that the doctor that was treating her saw change, change of her waking up. Three hours later when a nurse was checking on her Ziva's eyes fluttered open. Very slowly she took in her surrounding, so careful it took the nurse a few minutes to notice she was awake. It was only when she noticed that the woman in the bed desperately tried to move but failed when she walked to her.

"Shalom, welcome back, I will get a doctor for you try not to move" The nurse who had a sweet face and was a bit to the chubby side said.

And not long after she had left indeed a doctor came walking into the room. He greeted Ziva but Ziva did not reply.

"So miss David, how are you feeling?" the doctor asked, he smiled kindly at Ziva as he was checking her vitals

"Like crap" she replayed in Hebrew as the doctor was speaking.

"That is to be expected" He said laughing a little at the bluntness of this woman "Do you remember what happened?"

Ziva tried to nod her head but because of a halo device she only then really noticed around her head, and had restricted her movement before, she could not. So instead she spoke up "Yes, wait that girl is she okay?" That girl was what Ziva tried to focus on. Not wanting to show the panic she was feeling in the pit of her stomach because the ability to move seemed to be gone.

"Yes she is, she asked to call us when you would awake"

"How long have I been out?" she asked. Her room seemed to be to empty for it to be a long time. Surely she did not expect her father to come when she was in the hospital but she had at least expected something from the team. Even if it only was a card with a skull or a bat on it from Abby.

The doctor looked at Ziva, to him she seemed so young not to have anyone care for her, so it pained him a bit to tell her, even though he had told thousands of people there hurt ones had died. It was harder for someone who wake up to tell no one was there for them. "Two weeks"

Two weeks, Ziva could not believe it, two weeks and nothing, had there not been anyone who had cared?

"Because of the injuries you suffered you landed in a coma, you father has also been called he requested to be called as you would wake up."

To the doctor the woman seemed not surprised by that fact. Now it was the hard part to which the doctor had come where he had to tell the woman the horrible news.

"Okay, miss David this will not be easy to hear, but for you own sake I request you try to stay as calm as possible" He took a deep breath "You were hit full speed by the car, your arm was broken on three places, the cast may come off in about three more weeks. Unfortunately the speed of the car and the fall to the ground also caused your back to break on two places, plus a minor crack in your skull. This is also why you will not be able to feel or move your legs, just as your head. Now the crack in your skull will be healed in about four week's maybe a little more, that will be when the halo device will be removed. I am really sorry to tell you the next miss David but you are paralyzed from the waist down. We did some tests while you were noncohert and the chance you will ever walk again is looking very slim."

"How slim?" not sure she wanted to know the answer

"we estimate 5 to 8 percent change of full recovery. You will probably never walk again."


	2. Chapter 2

After those words the rest he told her went unheard. The only thing she kept hearing, repeating in her head was "You will probably never be able to walk again"

That first night, alone in her hospital room she could not stop the tears. She cried until her eyes were dry and only the sobs remained that shook her body. She lay all alone in the hospital bed. No one there to comfort her, to tell her it would be okay, to tell her she was not alone. As she lay in that bed that almost seemed too big for her, she felt like a little girl again. A little girl frightened about what was going to happen and all alone.

The next day was spend pretty much the same as the one before. Alone, laying in the hospital bed, waiting to heal, waiting for comfort. Days where she could do nothing more then read the books a nurse had brought her after seeing her the first day alone with nothing to keep her occupied. Days where sleeping was her best escape from reality. A realtity of disability she soon had to face alone. And slowly with days blurring together a week past. A whole week alone, only five minute talks with the doctor and than a ten minute talk with the nurses. She had not expected her father to come. Though she hoped that for once he cared enough for his daughter. That for once she could find the comfort with him she found from her father so many years ago. Nor had she expected anyone ells of her family to come, they either were to old to make the trip, had not seen her since she was six or were dead. From the team she had, not expected them to jump on an airplane to get to her but she had at least expected a call or a card. But nothing came.

Halfway through her second week being awake she finally got a visitor.

The girl walked in shyly and looking out of place.

"Shalom, I do not know if you remember me but you saved me."

Ziva smiled at the girl. "Shalom" she replied.

"My name is Ava by the way" as she shook Ziva´s uninjured hand. "I am really sorry. I mean if you would not have pushed me out of the way you would be perfectly healthy"

Ziva tried to shake her head but failed due to the halo device she was still wearing. It was not this girls fault that Ziva was lying there paralyzed for live. Sure Ziva was all but happy and wished things were different but "No, you do not worry. Sure if I had not pushed you out of the way I would be walking around somewhere not thinking about what I saw happened, but you would have been dead, so stop feeling guilty really it is….okay"

After half an hour of talking Ava left, and after she left Ziva was once again alone. She still was not happy not at all for most she was depressed. A part of her hated Ava, if she had not walked on that street on that moment nothing of this would have happened. But the other part of Ziva told her that she had saved the life of a girl who now could live her life free. If Ziva would not have jumped to push her away Ava would never be able to go back to finish her study. She could never marry the guy who had proposed to her in a year. It was better that she herself was the one in the bed. Because as it turned out no one really cared what happened to her anymore.

And with that though and her arms wrapped around her torso as best as she could Ziva fell back asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Just assume that Ziva's timeline and the DC timeline are consistent with eachother

Guest: I updated them together because they are the same story. I wanted to make a new start and not just continue the same story since it had been abandond for so long. But I did want to let anyone following the story and still waiting for an update know that the story would finally be continued. Broken trust has been deleted as of now  
trixie111 Thank you I hope you enjoy this next part.  
Debbie Thank you very much.

To anyone if you've got idea's for me to put in feel free to leave a review. Still got some room and gaps.

Chapter 3

**Washington DC**

The days past slowly and McGee could only hope that Gibbs would get the team together again. Soon. He looked at the clock, lunch break and if he wanted to be on time for the lunch with Abby he needed to hurry.

When they were eating Abby was back to the questions. Every once in a while, almost every other day, she asked McGee if he had heard more from Tony than she had, if he knew if Gibbs had gotten Vance to put the team back together again. The first week she asked about Ziva, after that she had stopped. Why McGee had only been able to guess. Though after a week of not asking about her friend she started to ask again, if he had heard anything, anything at all from Ziva.

"Timmy, have you heard from Ziva?" Abby looked up at him, her eyes full of hope.

"No, Abby I have not"

Abby looked down shortly, as if she was doubting if she should ask further. "Do you know if Tony heard from her?" Again McGee shook his head "WHY NOT MCGEE!"

At this outburst McGee was a little shocked, he was glad that there was to much noise for people to look up and pay attention to them. "I do not know Abby" he said

She threw her napkin down and stormed away. McGee knew that it was to no use to run after her. If Abby was in one of her moods, especially since the team had been split up there was no one that could reason with her. Sometimes not even Gibbs. So he just paid and left for the NCIS basement again. When he came down there he saw that he desk was taken by someone ells. One of the people who worked under him.

"Boss" Josh said

"What are you doing by my desk Josh?"

"The..uh…Director Vance assigned me as leader, and uh..you are pla-placed back in your old team."

Dazzled McGee walked back to the elevator and pressed up, and indeed as he walked into the old safety of the bullpen he saw that his stuff was placed in boxes on his desk. And to his surprise so was the desk next to him.

"Probie!" he heard from behind his back.

"Tony, what are you doing here?"

"Being reassigned back. Was beginning to worry I had to stay on the ship forever. So where is our little mossad assassin?"

"She's not here Tony. Have you heard from her?"

"No, I thought you would have , I mean I have been on a ship all this time! Maybe Abby has I'm gonna say hello to her."

"You better not do that Tony" McGee answered him "I had just lunch with Abby she asked about Ziva and when I did not know anything she kind of flipped"

Still Tony left, but after he came back he gave McGee a look that said that Abby was still in the same mood as McGee had last seen her in. Though they could not do anything about Ziva's absence. And very slowly they began to work in a rhythm again, with Gibbs as their fearless leader.

**Tel Aviv**

As morning came and Ziva woke up from yet another sleepless night. And yet again woke up alone. The books Ziva had gotten from one of the nurses were lying on her bedside table, mostly untouched. Every time she picked up one of the books she heard Tony's voice, saying she needed more fun than just from books.

And if she got as far as opening them she could not focus her mind on processing what the words were telling. She had never had this much time to think about things. Mostly she was thinking about the team. Thinking about what she had done wrong, if she had really misjudged her time with them so much.

How at first she did not trust them just as they did not trust her. Slowly they had each opened up to each other, at least that is what she had thought. She would not want them out of her life not for anything in the world. Though if her time with them had meant anything would they not have let her know that they cared now she was lying there, they had to know. Her father would have surely told director Vance, he kept a lot to himself. Out of control over her, or because of the safety of many never her. But this, something like this he would surely have told, right?

Right at that moment no one other than Eli David came walking into her room, two of his body guards flanked by his side. As they both turned to the door through which he had come Eli walked closer by.

"Aba!" Ziva said, full of relief, her father had come. He had come for her, to see how she was doing. Though that hope was crushed almost as soon as Eli had come to stand still next to her bedside.

The only thing he did was look down at his daughter, his eyes spoke of disappointment, as if she was a disgrace to him. Ziva wanted to ask him so much, if anyone of NCIS had contacted him, if any of her family knew about her situation. But as Eli stood next to her she became a small girl again, as she looked in his eyes. Somewhere deep inside she saw the father that she had loved, the father that kissed her knee if she had fallen down, the father that always made her smile, kissed away her tears.

"Aba, I…" Ziva began she tried to sit up, to raise her arms, nothing more than hug her father. Like he used to do when she was little and was sad about something. But the failure that was seen in Eli's eyes directed to her only became bigger, as the disappointment and detestation.

The only word he soflty muttered was "disgrace" closed his eyes, turn around, and walked away. His guards following him, and like that he walked out on her. With each step he walked away from her she began to see it. Something she should have seen years ago. The father she had once known was gone, buried so deep under the mask he put up that he himself did not know the other excised anymore. She was nothing more than a big disappointment in his eyes, now she would be bound to a wheelchair for life she had no use to him anymore. He had probably wished that she would have died from her wounds, or just never woke up again from her coma.

And like a little girl who's father had left her she started the cry. Her arms around her upper body to protect what was left of her, to hold the last piece she had in her inside.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

**Washington DC**

Another week had passed, Abby had somewhat calmed down, and once again had stopped asking about Ziva. Gibbs had noticed that his team was not doing so fine, they missed their friend, coworker and partner. But what could he do? Director Vance had forbidden him to contact Eli, they had tried none the less but failed. Ziva's cell phone was out of use, and they could not seem to track her down. Not even Abby and McGee could together after working extra hours to try. Tony had taken it the worst of all of them. He joked less, spoke less, he came to work did his job and went back to his apartment. He could not understand why she hadn't told him anything, she was his best friend, he may even have feelings for her. It felt like Wendy all over again, even though he and Ziva were not an item, he felt alone, and left, just like he had felt at the altar once he realized that Wendy would not come back.

Gibbs shook his head as he was sanding his boat, they were not complete without her. His phone rang. He picked up but almost as soon as he had picked up the line went dead. Piece of crap Gibbs thought.

**Tel Aviv**

It had taken three days for Ziva to calm down a little. The first day when she woke up she had realized that the team probably did not know. Her father would have never called them, not even let Vance know. She had gathered that much at how he treated his hospital visit, how he had walked away from her. Right than Ziva did not dare to call, afraid they would hear in her voice how broken she felt. Fearing that they would treat her like Eli had done, not worthy of their time anymore. With her head she knew that was not true it could not be, or at least she hoped. But wth her heart she only felt the hurt because of Eli, so deep within it felt like it had cracked and would only require their rejection to break beyond repair. It had taken her another day to finally work up the courage to finally press the digits and call Gibbs. The phone rang, but after four rings it disconnected. When Ziva looked at the clock she saw that it was very late in DC, so no wonder they did not pick up. That and it was Gibbs he might not have charged his phone for several days. She told herself she would call again tomorrow.

The doctor came in with a too happy smile on his face Ziva thought.

"Well Miss David, I have at least some good news for you. We looked again at the fractures in your arm and it seems they have all been healed enough to remove the cast, Adam here will take the cast of in a minute. We will still tightly wrap it for another two weeks. And starting tomorrow there will come a specialist to help you. It will leave it to her explain what and how exactly. Good day Miss David"

Then he left again. Adam was a young nurse, he had black hair neatly tide into a low pony tail, his eyes at least looked friendly. As he was taking the cast of he was talking his head off. Ziva noticed he tried to make her smile, one time he succeeded, when he was just done.

Right before he walked out Adam said to her "You should smile more, I know that your situation is not exactly something to smile about, but you will learn to live with the wheelchair, believe me, my sister was hit by a bomb two years ago, she is doing okay now. Really smile more, you have a beautiful smile"

Ziva just nodded, if the wheelchair was the only thing that was going on right now maybe she would have smiled more, or maybe not, she did not know. But right now she had nothing to laugh about. She looked at the clock, they would be already at work right now, so she tried again.

This time though she called to the desk phone of Gibbs. It rang and it rang but there was no one who picked up. The recording machine gave a beep and she decided to leave a message.

"Shalom Gibbs, this is Ziva. I… call me on this number please"

They had to be out on a case Ziva thought as she put down the horn, and fell asleep. Yes that was it, they were out on a case, and Gibbs would call her back in the morning, just as she had asked.

**Washington DC**

This time it was Gibbs' desk phone that rang. Though Gibbs was nowhere in sight, McGee looked at Tony who looked back.

"You get it probie"

"No thanks Tony, I want to live"

"Fine, McScardy" Tony walked over to the phone and picked up "Very Special Agent DiNozzo" Nothing there was nothing heard. "Who is this?"still no answer, so Tony put down the phone.

"Who was that DiNozzo" It was Gibbs who stood right behind him.

"No idea boss, must have been a wrong number."

What nor Ziva nor the team back in DC knew was that their calls did not simply disconnect. It was all because of Eli. He knew that if he let that bastard of a Gibbs know about Ziva he would be in Israel asap. Eli could not let that happen. For if they knew his enemies could find out to. And with Ziva not even able to walk, not being able to his sharp end of the spear anymore she was a liability. They would use her handicap against him, take her and let him pay the price for her. Use her to get to him. He had to do everything to stop that. He had given the task of making Ziva untraceable to one of his young officers. The task being to stop Ziva from contacting the outside world, and the outside world of contacting her. Because surely if they would not hear from her and she not from them they would stop. She could not be that valuable to them, she lost her edge, her use.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

As the day passed Ziva was not called back. This did not worry her, she had not expected Gibbs to call her the minute that he got the message, no he probably would wait until the case was over, until he had time, and until things had calmed down. She had not the slightest clue that her messages were not getting to their designation. The officer Eli had put on the case may be young but he was very good at his job. As usual Ziva was awake before the first nurse came in. The day passed slowly until finally it was eleven o'clock.

There came a woman walking through the door. It was a woman in her mid thirty's; she had long brown hair that was tight in a bun, she had a kind face, her body looked very athletic and strong, she would be just a little longer than Ziva, well, as Ziva used to be.

"Shalom, my name is Sarah, I will be your physical and mental therapist for the time you've got left here, I trust it you've been informed that I would stop by"

"Yes, Shalom, my name is Ziva" Ziva said back. On the outside the woman may look nice but Ziva saw a certain bitterness in her eyes, probably caused by a life living in an almost warzone. That however did not mean that she would not be able to do her work. She explained to Ziva in detail how the road would go from there. She would be treated in the hospital until the halo device would be removed, in addition to almost the month she had been in the hospital, her coma being counted; she would have to wear it for another week. Then, after another 2 to 3 weeks depending how her progress was going, she would be transferred to a special facility and rehabilitate there until she had learned everything they could teach her.

"But we will start that next week when the halo device will be removed, now I am here to talk." Sarah told Ziva "Most people hate this part but it will help the recovery. So my first question is how do you feel, and I mean really feel, be honest?"

"Honestly, I…" She would not tell this woman she felt like crap, not because of her injuries but because of everything ells. "I have had better days, it feels so weird that my legs, it just feels if they are not there anymore and that…" Ziva stopped; she was talking way to much way to fast to this woman.

"Scared?" Sarah suggested. Ziva shook her head.

"No" Ziva may have said no but it was a yes, however what she was about to say was also true "Weak"

Sarah softly smiled at Ziva "That is something where I come in. People who are dependent are not weak, they may have a physical disadvantage, but they are strong in their own ways"

The talk went on for a while, when Sarah walked away Ziva was so tired she fell asleep. Even though Ziva must admit that it felt relieving to talk about it she would only tell lies to Sarah now. She did not fully trust her to really care, to really help her on that area. And she could not risk opening up to someone and than having it thrown back in her face, the pain of her father leaving forever still to close to her heart, the moment she was done with therapy.

For three more days she waited for Gibbs to call her back, in fact she waited for anyone at all to give her a call. At the beginning of the fourth day she had enough of waiting. So she called again, and just like before left a message.

The next day she saw Sarah first, she was asked questions of how she felt, how she thought life would be in a wheelchair, and many other things. At the end Ziva almost wanted to rip her face of. She did not want any of this, not without at least having spoken to her family. They were the ones to who she wanted to talk, and if she had to even how she felt. Not to Sarah.

And yet another week past, with no call back from either one of her family. And every day that past Ziva began to feel more and unsure if they would respond to her. And since that day she wrote to them, every day for about a week to answer her. She put the address of the hospital and her room number in it and send it with overnight express. But they did not respond, and as the days past Ziva began to feel as if she was not a part of them anymore. As if they had moved on as if they had forgotten her. Just like they did not want to contact her, maybe her father had contacted them after all.

**Washington DC**

They all to it a different way that Ziva had left.

Ducky, he told endless stories to his diseased patients about Ziva.

McGee, well the only thing he could write about was Lisa, nothing ells. He spend more hours searching for a way to contact Ziva than on his work. Every time that he came close something or came up or he was blocked and he could not get through.

About four weeks after that Tony had come back Gibbs had had this huge fight with Vance, the whole floor had heard shouting. Gibbs had come back more pissed than ever "What ever you do, do not stop looking for her" he ordered Tony and McGee. For a fact they knew that after that Gibbs did not sleep more than three to four hours a night.

Abby spend just as McGee more time in searching her than anything ells. She was also more clingy than ever before, like she was afraid that someone ells would leave.

Neither of them was as bad as Tony though. The first three weeks he had gone clubbing every night, and took a girl home just as often. After those three weeks it seemed as if he had drunk away all that he had in him. He came to work, sat behind his desk, he worked but not more than necessarily, then he went home again and it repeated itself. He would shoot a thousand glances at Ziva's desk a day. As if he hope that if he looked often enough she would appear, come back to them. But no luck.

The calls had stopped to, and McGee was glad that they did because every time Tony or Gibbs picked up the phone and no one was on the other end of the line they were on edge. McGee often fled to Abby, but also that had stopped soon enough. So he had been trapped in the ice cold bullpen.

**Hospital, Tel Aviv**

Ziva had led everyone to believe she was doing better, phisicly that was no lie. Since Ziva had always trained the scedual Sarah had made her was no big problem. She was quick at regaining some strength and stability in her spine despite the halo device still present, only noticing she tired more quickly. Mentally, though she was not doing better. Sarah bought all her lies, growing up Ziva had long since perfected her ability to lie. Some times Ziva told her the truth, but that happened less and less. With every truth she told Sarah she thought more and more about the team, it was them that she wanted to share these things with not Sarah. She even wanted to tell them how she felt, and answer every question they had to ask her, about anything, but she began to lose the hope that that would happen. None of her biological family had come to visit her, she had not expected that but would she have to add the team, her new, her true family to the list? One of the nurses was kind enough to bring her new books once she finished the couple she brought before were finished. But further from the few nurses, the doctor and Sarah Ziva did not see or hear from anyone.

And finally after six weeks in total, it was time to get the halo device removed. The doctor did not talk to her while he was doing it, the only thing he said to her was just before he left.

"Careful try not to move too much, you will see Sarah first thing in the morning and she will start working with you"

And like that Ziva was alone _again. _She gathered all her strength and picked up a pen and paper and began to write. It seemed as if she wrote her heart out when she was finished she asked one of the nurses to post it. What she did not know was that the nurse put the envelope aside and called. Not long after a young man came in and she gave him the letter he brought it into the office of Eli.

Eli began to read, soon enough he saw his daughter had not given up. He called the man back "Gopala" he told the man "I want you to make sure she forgets about them, you have already taken longer than I expected. If we wait for another month I fear the information might get into the hands of our enemies. You've got three more weeks to finish this, understood"

"Yes director" Gopala left, he just hoped to find the right moment in those three weeks to execute his plan. Ziva David would get an answer she did not expect.


	6. Chapter 6

And as promised first thing in the morning Sarah came and took the first steps. Together with Ziva she moved her neck to get some more feeling back and get used to not being restricted and supported by the halo device anymore. Sarah also moved her legs just to take care of any deformations and muscle weakness. Then for about three times she lifted Ziva's upper body from the bed and hold her for a while. Ziva did not really do anything but at the end she was quit tired as Sarah left.

And since then Sarah came everyday for about two weeks they worked very carefully. Mostly just Sarah moving Ziva around and building strength for Ziva to sit up on herself. It took her two weeks to do that, and then Ziva was able to hold herself up for five minutes. Sarah promised her it would become better, and Ziva could do nothing but believe her. It was not as if she was given a choice.

In the two weeks that had passed she had given up on calling Gibbs. Why it was she didn't know but he had not picked up in those weeks that had passed. By this alone she was worried, what if something happened to them. Not knowing what was going on she had turned to an older method of communicating. She started to write letters. Sending letters to both Gibbs and Abby, not knowing if either of the boys had been returned to the team yet.

**D.C.**

It was Friday night, they were not on call and Tony and McGee had ended the work day in a bar the team frequently went to. Already having their first beer thrown back and now nursing a second Tony finally started to talk.

"It's just not natural" Tony said looking into his glass

"What is?"

"Ziva leaving like this"

"She's probably just busy with work."

"To busy to call and say she's okay? We're her friends McGee!

"And she probably also has a life and friends in Israel. Maybe she is undercover, you know her cell phone wasn't turned of until 3 weeks after she left, I know cause Abby called her at least four times a day, and no one can ignore Abby for that long. Or maybe she just wanted a clean break" McGee said

"She didn't. I know that McGee. I brought her to the airport, I made her promise me to keep me updates, let me know how she was, and if she was send on missions. She promised. You know Ziva as well as I, she never breaks a promise except when something is stopping her"

Then both fell into silence. Tony thinking over and over what other way he could have of contacting Ziva. And McGee not knowing what to say. He knew Tony was right, it should not be impossible for Abby and himself to track her down. Hard maybe but for the past 2 months they had not come any closer to finding her. It frustrated him to no end, Abby and him were one of the best in tracking people down. If they could not do it, then something was blocking them, something, or someone did not want them to find her.


	7. Chapter 7

The six weeks that were to come consisted of training, talking, sleeping, eating and repeat. So much the days and weeks almost started to blur together. But Ziva didn't mind. She worked harder than she had before. She would prove her father wrong, she was not worthless. This insight had come when Sarah told her that the sooner she got strong enough the sooner she could go to the rehabilitation center the sooner she was allowed to travel again. And to travel meant going back home, home to her family. With Sarahs help, though Ziva stil did not tell her everything, and Sarah didn't ask for more than she was getting, was able to get from her bed to her wheelchair and back, plus sit up right without the safety strap that was placed around her wheel chair around her upper body, time depending how tired Ziva was.

Between all the hopping in and out of the wheelchair, sweating, falling and doing it again her attempts to contact the team had slowed down. It was down to one call each week, she started rotating between calling Gibbs and Tony and McGee's desk phone. But every time she got a connection, every time the phone rang it was disconnected.

Finally after six weeks of working her ass of Sarah came in with a smile on her face.

"I've got the best news you've heard in a while. Well actually twice good news"

At this Ziva sat up straighter in bed.

"I think you are ready to move to the rehabilitation center." Instantly Ziva broke out into a smile "Your progress has been amazing, you are very fast with rebuilding strength, but from what you told me you are used to training like this no? I've scheduled for you to go there in three days. Just to fill out some paper work, get your information in order, let your family know that you are moving. "

At this Ziva's face fell a bit Sarah seemed to notice and quickly went on "Now my other good new, I know you have been fighting a lot with your buddy over there" while pointing at the wheelchair that stood next to Ziva's bed. "Once you are in the center and they are working with you your mentor or head trainer depending on how you want to call it; will work out all the details with you about ordering your own chair. It will be completely set to your needs and lifestyle you plan on maintaining."

"Finally" Ziva sighed; she had been looking forward to that. The chair did it's work but that was about it. Now Ziva knew she did not yet have the strength for another chair, but she did not ever want ot get stuck in a chair that prohibited her from doing so much, as even sitting at a table.

"Now, I actually really don't want to bring your mood down. Though it is important that I tell you this, your mentor will probably again discuss this with you. But…because you've progressed so much so fast you should not be surprised if once at the center your progress becomes slow or even stop for a while. This is nothing to be alarmed about, you will be able to learn everything you need to but it is important to remember the possibility"

"Why?"

"As I said we sometimes see this in people who progressed quickly. The scedual at the center will be different, not purely based on gaining strength and stamina, but even on simple tasks like how to cook safely from your chair. Because you're not constantly working on your body anymore or at least different then before you might suddenly get tired, or pain you didn't have before, you may feel weak again, but remember it will only stay for a while.  
Now I've put a request to the center that you, seeing your background, will have next to a normal schedule extra training lessons scheduled in. Cause no one likes to go back to those early days where you could be a little fidgety and very stressed."

Ziva just took it all in, listened and tried to mentally make a list of things Sarah had said. "But those worries might be for nothing. Your strong Ziva, you survived a terrible accident and you will come out on top of it. I know it, I will see you tomorrow"

Sarah stood and softly squeezed Ziva's shoulder before walking out. For the first time in a long time Ziva fell asleep with a smile on her face, she was strong, and she could get through this. She had to, for them, for her family, to return home, to return to them, to return to Tony.

**I don't know if I should insert a chapter about just the DC team, or skip to Ziva's last day in the hopital and the transfer. Let me know please?**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"It's not working Abby, we'll never find her"

"Don't you dare say that McGee we have to. I miss my third musketeer"

McGee sighed "it's not as if I want to give up but I don't see another way we can try to find her. We've tried everything. If we cannot find her someone must be stopping us. You must have thought about it to Abs"

Abby's face fell "I have. And you are most likely right about it McGee but we need to keep searching. Gibbs cannot even get the director to talk to Eli. Us working together is the best hope we've got right now to finding her. Promise me you won't give up"

"never" he said before turning back to his computer again.

Upstairs in the bullpen the fact that he may have lost his chance was downing on Tony. What if all the things he had wanted to tell her at the airport would stay just that forever. Just words he wanted to tell her but never did and never would. He thought back to that day over and over again. Searching for maybe something he had missed. Some inkling to tell him if it was her choice not to contact them. The more he tried searching for a detail the more reason he found to think that this was never what she wanted. He remembered the tears glistening in her eyes as she said goodbye; the way she had not even hesitated to promise him she would not forget him. Promised to let him know she was okay.

The longer it took McGee and Abby to locate even the slightest blip on the radar from her the more he thought about her. The more he started to worry and slightly freak out. Since the start of last week her picture had a permanent place in his wallet. Ever since Gibbs had stormed out of Vance his office for the first time and gave them orders to keep on track he'd been getting more and more nightmares. Nightmares that had him wake up in the middle of the night in panic. Nightmares that always ended with her either slipping away from him or slowly disappearing in front of his eyes. In fear that he would forget her face, the way she talked and messed up her English. The way she would laugh even at his dumbest jokes. So every day he would slip the photo out of his wallet and look at her face. It had just been a candid shot taken what felt like a lifetime ago with a crime scene camera; but he treasured it anyway. He would look at it and forget there was work to do. Trying to remember every little detail about her face; would not forget her.

As Gibbs looked at his team he grew even more tired and frustrated that he already was. Everyone was overworked with their search for Ziva. Every road to finding her they took ended in a dead end. Next to that his bloody desk phone would soon be thrown out the window should that have been possible. Every so often it would ring. He would pick it up and there was always silence on the other side. He had McGee search for the location the call was placed from. But the most accurate place McGee could pinpoint it to was a little town north of Delaware, Ohio. So now when the phone rang with no one on the other side he would either just hang up or respond in a gruff voice 'wrong number'

After another sleepless night as Tony was driving back to the navy yard he suddenly got an idea.

"McGee!" he said barley entering the bullpen, when the probie looked up he continued. "You and Abby have been trying to hack into mossad right?"

"Yes, Tony, but you know we are not getting any closer to figuring out where she is"

"I know, I know, but did you try her family"

"Since Eli"

"no, I'm not talking about Eli"

"I thought she didn't have other family?" McGee said as he pulled his desk chair back to look at Tony.

"She does. She has an aunt living in Tel Aviv. Can you find her number? I'll handle the rest. I think her name is Nettie?"

At the end of another long day McGee gave a sticky note to Tony with a number on it. It was too late to call to Tel Aviv right now. It sadly had to wait for the morning. And just like every other night Tony fell asleep in his bed once he had gotten home. Having set his alarm earlier to be able to call Ziva's aunt before he had to go to work. And for the first time in weeks he found it easier to slip away into dream instead of nightmares. Hoping that the tide had finally turned and that he would speak to Ziva, or at least find out how she was by this time tomorrow.

**There is still another chapter before I move Ziva to the center; the next chapter will contain at least Tony's talk with Aunt Nettie, and Ziva's last days in the hospital.**

Let me know what you thought!


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